In Brazil’s Mato Grosso state, 32 cases of Hepatitis A were confirmed by the state Secretary of Health in the city of Santo Antônio do Leste (located 379 kilometers south of Cuiabá). There is concern that this outbreak may spread to cities nearby, such as Paratinga (located 389 kilometers from Cuiabá). Secretary of Heath representatives are recommending that schools be postponed for 30 days and that daycare facilities follow suit. Hepatitis A is a virus spread via the ingestion of fecal matter (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this infection may occur with fecal matter “even in microscopic amounts’’) from an infected host.
